Pacers trade Porter, giving keys to the Corn Twins

[TheTwoWallaces]

Just days before the season opener of the 2025-2026 campaign, the Pacers have shocked the CSL world by trading their best player. Michael Porter Jr., who was drafted by Houston 6th overall in 2024, has been traded to the Sacramento Kings alongside PG Collin Sexton and veteran PF Branden Dawson. In return, the Indiana Pacers will receive four first round draft picks, sophomore forward Jalen Smith, veteran Nick Johnson, and forward Deng Adel.

Porter, who averaged 15.7 ppg on 48% shooting last season, is widely projected to become one of the top scorers in the CSL. His teammate and draft classmate Collin Sexton put up 14.6 ppg on 44% shooting. The duo will be paired with Dzanan Musa, also of the 2024 class. Both players still have two seasons remaining on their rookie contracts.

As for the Pacers, losing Porter opens up more minutes on the court for newly-enriched Justin Patton. Patton, fresh off of a max contract, was worried that Michael Porter Jr. and longtime Pacer Semi Ojeleye would continue to keep him off the court, despite Patton's strong 15.5 ppg in only 26 mpg last season.

When asked to explain the blockbuster, the Pacers GM had this to say:

Losing Porter is not an easy decision. How could it be? We are going to have to watch him score 20+ points a night, all the while knowing he could have stayed a Pacer. But this is a business, and an opportunity arose that we couldn't pass up on.

Let me make this simple: The minutes lost by Porter's absence will be absorbed by Semi Ojeleye and Justin Patton. The gap in talent between Porter and those two is, in our assessment, smaller than the potential for growth afforded to us through acquiring 4 first round picks, including Washington's potentially high lottery selection (no offense Gary).

This offseason, we gave the keys to our franchise to Patton & Ojeleye. We now have the draft capital necessary to continue to build around those two players. Frankly, Porter didn't compliment them well as they took touches away from him.

As for Sexton, a similar explanation can be applied. Gary Payton II is very similar to Sexton. So, all losing Sexton does for us in the short term is open up more minutes for Fred Van Vleet, who doesn't deserve to be a 3rd string point guard. Sexton was added to the negotiation in exchange for 1 first round pick & Deng Adel, who we like as a 3 & D guy. We felt that a future 1st could net us a greater return than the return of Sexton over Van Vleet. It's all about efficiency, and right now we can eat the losses of Porter and Sexton relatively easily.

[Flaming Homer]

Indeed a blockbuster, but your comments over the last few weeks were pointing in an exit of Porter.
And I think you have plenty of options who can easily fill out this minutes.

I'm personally a fan of Sexton, so curious to see how his career proceeds.

[Dennis]

Good trade for you! Looking at the classes we have the last years, it’s super valuable to have four picks. Porter isn’t designed for this engine and you will easily find better fitting players in the draft with the four picks.

[Marcos_Beck]

In terms of talent, I don’t believe any of the picks will give you a player as talented as Porter, but if one hits you’ll be in fastastic shape following that trade.

But in terms of fit, that alone compensates the risk of not finding any top talent via draft. You’ll always have tons of picks to find fringe starters / good backups, should always have cheap contributors, can draft players that fits your play style better and solves the logjam at PF. I’ll give this deal a B with an opportunity to become an A if any of the picks hit. Solid move!

[bt]

I think we more so just fit as trade partners. That and was a good lengthy Marcos-like trade chat (we always had the best lengthy trade chats despite never actually trading haha but was always fun).

But yeah, I think we just fit. I already have depth so the picks were just going to cause me issues going forward and I badly needed that scorer (who actually just got his endurance boost this training camp) as our highest was rated in the 60's. Indy had the post set and needed flexibility and the option to do it how they like with all the assets. Was just a good fit for both.

[TheTwoWallaces]

There’s a very solid chance that we fail to find a player as good as Porter. But the new engine turned Porter into a poor fit next to the corn boys, and I figured neither Ojeleye or patton could get nearly as good a haul. Never thought I’d be a team with so many picks, but here we are

[Marcos_Beck]

I think we more so just fit as trade partners. That and was a good lengthy Marcos-like trade chat (we always had the best lengthy trade chats despite never actually trading haha but was always fun).

But yeah, I think we just fit. I already have depth so the picks were just going to cause me issues going forward and I badly needed that scorer (who actually just got his endurance boost this training camp) as our highest was rated in the 60's. Indy had the post set and needed flexibility and the option to do it how they like with all the assets. Was just a good fit for both.

Lucas is half Brazilian so it makes sense...

[rh0xxy]

Not sure what to think of this trade for you tbh. You don't have your pick this year and now you lose arguably your two best players. You gain a potential lottery pick but your pick could be a potential lottery pick too, that could cancelled each other out, which means all you have right now is 3 1sts but those 1sts, I may say are around mid to late 1sts most likely. I may sound criticizing but no, I'm just sharing my thoughts.

[TheTwoWallaces]

Not sure what to think of this trade for you tbh. You don't have your pick this year and now you lose arguably your two best players. You gain a potential lottery pick but your pick could be a potential lottery pick too, that could cancelled each other out, which means all you have right now is 3 1sts but those 1sts, I may say are around mid to late 1sts most likely. I may sound criticizing but no, I'm just sharing my thoughts.

Nah not critiquing, just your thoughts

-our pick this year is top 10 protected
-Sexton is not as good as Ojeleye, patton, or Hayes (potential)
-idk what the cancelling out firsts comment is referring to — if we suck we get our pick, if WAS sucks we get a big piece there, and I don’t even think we’ll suck that much as both Porter and Sexton had very good backups that will keep us competitive this season

[rh0xxy]

Not sure what to think of this trade for you tbh. You don't have your pick this year and now you lose arguably your two best players. You gain a potential lottery pick but your pick could be a potential lottery pick too, that could cancelled each other out, which means all you have right now is 3 1sts but those 1sts, I may say are around mid to late 1sts most likely. I may sound criticizing but no, I'm just sharing my thoughts.

Nah not critiquing, just your thoughts

-our pick this year is top 10 protected
-Sexton is not as good as Ojeleye, patton, or Hayes (potential)
-idk what the cancelling out firsts comment is referring to — if we suck we get our pick, if WAS sucks we get a big piece there, and I don’t even think we’ll suck that much as both Porter and Sexton had very good backups that will keep us competitive this season

Ah obviously I'm not aware that it was top 10 protected hahaha sounds all good

[Dennis]

What I love most is that Patton gets unleashed. He’s way way better than porter.

[hardenwithnod]

Tough to move someone with potentials like Porter, but getting those picks is always nice. Plus you get to let Semi and Patton to shine now, so I don’t blame you.